Don 2 Music Review

Don 2 Music Review

EXPECTATIONS

There are immense expectations from the music of Don 2and there are quite a few reasons for that:

- This is one of the most anticipated sequels of the current times and actually takes the story forward, hence almost warranting that good music would be the soul here

- Music of Don – The Chase Begins is still playing, courtesy ‘Aaj Ki Raat‘ which is popular despite being heard first half a decade ago

- Music coming from the house of Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani always promises a certain degree of class

- Whenever Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Javed Akhtar have come together, they have seldom failed

With such factors raising one’s expectations to a real high, nothing less than fantabulous is acceptable for the music of Don 2.

MUSIC

Shah Rukh Khan’s begins the album with a 35 second long monologue where he hints of his arrival all over again. In the current scenario, this could well be a statement from him to all his detractors (in real life as well) where he conveys the point loud and clear that he would never fade away in oblivion and it’s a matter of time that ‘he is back’.

Next to arrive is the title song which goes as ‘Zaraa Dil Ko Thaam Lo‘. This track basically picks thread from ‘Aaj Ki Raat‘ and aims at bringing back the sound of the early 80s though in a fresh new presentation with clear inspiration from James Bond flicks. Nothing wrong with that as it actually goes well with the film’s genre and it creates the kind of mood which is expected from the genre to which Don 2 belongs. While Anusha Mani begins the proceedings, it is Vishal Dadlani who arrives a little later in the day with the quartet of Raman Mahadevan, Mani Mahadevan, Siddharth Mahadevan and Kshitij Wagh coming together for a chorus. Not the kind that you would hum around the streets, this one is basically a theme track that should take the story forward.

What catches your attention though is ‘Hai Ye Maya‘ which fuses the action genre of late 70s/early 80s well with the contemporary sound hence fully justifying it’s inclusion in Don 2. Expect the song to play at various junctures in the film as and when there is a thrilling encounter involving Shah Rukh Khan. Though in last few years Usha Uthup has come behind the mike for many a Bollywood tracks, it is ‘Hai Ye Maya‘ which turns out to be her best in ages. It is remarkable to see the lady doing exceedingly well and holding her own in the times when dozens of youngsters have come and gone. Add to this the kind of composition that Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have managed here and there is all the more reason to grab the ‘remix version’ with both ears!

Listening to ‘Dushman Mera‘ reminds of many a cabaret sequences from the 70s that had the likes of Helen, Padma Khanna or Bindu gyrating to a fast paced tune in a villain’s den. The song in question has a female protagonist hunting for her ‘dushman’ with the man of the moment having his own score to settle with his enemies. While Sunitha Sarathi is an unconventional choice as a singer here, she still does well. However what is surprising is to hear Shankar Mahadevan sounding so differently from his usual self. Also, one wonders why there wasn’t another singer roped in for the job as Shankar seems a bit out of place here.

Thankfully fun is restored soon after with ‘The King Is Back – Theme‘. A four minute long piece that takes forward the anthem of ‘Don‘ that has been popular for over three decades now, this one is an absolute killer with Sunitha Sarathi justifying her inclusion as the singer here. She has a few words to mouth though in this musical piece which acts as a wonderful background score, so much so that one can’t have enough of it despite hearing it repeatedly.

Shaan’s version of ‘Main Hoon Don‘ from Don – The Chase Begins Again is presented again in Don 2 as ‘Mujhko Pehchaanlo‘. This time around the man who has been entrusted with the responsibility of being the voice of ‘Don’ is K.K. who comes up with a full throated rendition. Surprisingly though, the zing of the original is missing here what with neither the voice nor the overall arrangements really cutting the ice. Lyrics are different this time around and though yet again it’s the call of the central protagonist for his enemies to be aware of his second coming, the thrill is missing here as well as in the ‘remix version’.

Last to arrive is ‘The ‘Don’ Waltz‘ and while it may go along well with the film’s narrative, the only exciting portion for the listener here is the point where Caralisa Monteiro brings back the theme sound of Don.

OVERALL

As mentioned at the very beginning, nothing less than a rocking album was expected from Don 2. However, what one gets to hear is a soundtrack which is pretty much a mixed bag. At places it works while at points, it just doesn’t make you jump with joy. Also, there isn’t anything which comes across as memorable enough to be played a few months down the line, leave aside a few years. Eventually what you get is a soundtrack that would go along with the narrative and acts as a good situational ingredient but that’s about it.

Ladies VS Ricky Bahl Music Review

Ladies VS Ricky Bahl Music Review

EXPECTATIONS

When an exact same team of a winning film comes together for another film just a year down the line, expectations are that the outcome would be on similar lines as well, if not any more. This is exactly what one hopes from Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl too which has Yash Raj Films, Anushka Sharma,

Ranveer Singh, Maneesh Sharma, Salim-Sulaiman and Amitabh Bhattacharya looking at recreating the magic of Band Baaja Baaraat. With the film making no pretence of being extraordinary or changing the face of entertainment, expectations are well in control as well as one looks forward to a time-pass Bollywood score here.

MUSIC

The album gets a good kick-start for itself with ‘Aadat Se Majboor‘ which has it’s beginning reminding one of Mission Impossible, albeit with a romantic-n-naughty touch to it. With an addictive hook to it that sets the groove in the very first listening, ‘Aadat Se Majboor‘ is a good theme song that also arrives in a ‘remix version’. The song not just manages to establish the feel of the movie up, close and personal, it is also entertaining enough to be played over and over again. Benny Dayal makes most of the opportunity made available to him and ensures that he has a chartbuster up its sleeves. Also a special word for Ranveer Singh who is the man of the moment for the rap portions that are an integral part of the song and can be heard prominently in the song promos that have been playing relentlessly for weeks now.

Shilpa Rao, who is mostly associated with romantic numbers, displays her boisterous side with ‘Jazba‘. On any other day, this one could well have fallen right out there in Sunidhi Chauhan’s territory. However, Salim-Sulaiman do well in bringing some variety in the proceedings by roping in Shilpa for this song which has trademark ‘Yash Raj Films’ written all over it. Carrying on from where ‘Dhunki‘ [Mere Brother Ki Dulhan] left just a few weeks ago and reminding one of the kind of music that was heard in Band Baaja Baaraat, Dil Bole Hadippaand many other films belonging to similar mood and style, ‘Jazba‘ also hints of ‘Tu Dhaari Talwar‘ [Mere Brother Ki Dulhan] at one point during it’s play. Still, the song has a spark to it that manages to ignite good enough excitement by the time one is through hearing the ‘remix version’.

‘Thug Le‘ which follows next is yet another song that emerges out of the template that Yash Raj Films and Salim-Sulaiman have pretty much patented over a period of time. This one is plain and simple entertainment with no one aiming at going out of the way in experimenting with the situation and the genre. Amitabh Bhattacharya’s lyrics have that fun-n-naughty feel to them which sets the stage for Vishal Dadlani and Shweta Pandit to have fun behind the mike. Though the song won’t be remembered after the film’s run is through, it should make for an enjoyable visual experience.

It’s time to get some Punjabi mood on with ‘Jigar Da Tukda‘ which tries to create an ambience similar to that of ‘Ainnvayi Ainvayi‘ [Band Baaja Baaraat]. When compared to rest of the soundtrack, this one just about manages to pass muster partly due to a heard-before tune and partly due to it being just fine. In isolation, this Salim Merchant and Shraddha Pandit sung track may have still have been noticed due to it’s fun appeal but is one looks at what one has heard in Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl so far, it turns out to be good only for a situational outing.

The album ends with ‘Fatal Attraction‘ which is a musical piece that has a Western base to it and is styled in a manner similar to that of the grand finale of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (‘Dancing Jodi‘). One looks forward to this being an out and out dance track as well with Ricky Bahl coming face to face with at least Anushka Sharma, if not all his ladies. All in all, an engaging piece that is right from the stable of Salim-Sulaiman with whom music belonging to this genre can be well expected, especially when it happens to be for a Yash Raj film.

OVERALL

Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl delivers as promised. One expected a fun outing here with no sad moments whatsoever and this is what one gets as well. Of course one just feels that presence of one additional chartbuster track could just have made it a perfect outing. However with ‘Aadat Se Majboor‘ being a hit song already and ‘Jazba‘ along with ‘Thug Le‘ promising to cover a good distance, you are reasonably satisfied with the final outcome.

JO HUM CHAHEIN MOVIE MUSIC REVIEW

Jo Hum Chahein Movie Music Review

EXPECTATIONS

Music of certain films goes totally unnoticed if they don’t quite boast of a known cast or a banner. Moreover, due to these very reasons, they lose out on promotion too. However Jo Hum Chahein, despite its all new cast and crew, still manages to find some eyeballs for itself due to the way it is finding at least some vigour in its promotion. With Sachin Gupta as a composer (who has to his credit a good score in Prince amongst a few other albums) and Kumaar as the lyricist, who is fast becoming quite popular on the Bollywood musical scene, one does get excited to check out what exactly does Jo Hum Chahein have to offer.

MUSIC

Jo Hum Chahein gets a vibrant beginning for itself with the musical team exploring a party scene with ‘Aaj Bhi Party‘. A high-on-energy track which picks up from where ‘Pappu Can’t Dance Saala‘ [Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa], ‘Chaar Baj Gaye‘ [F.A.L.T.U. ] and ‘Music Band Na Karo‘ [Hum Tum Shabana] left, ‘Aaj Bhi Party‘ keeps the tempo on and creates it’s own space instead of following a heard-before route. Suraj Jagan leaves aside his rockstar hat and gets into the party groove, just like K.K. and Shaan would have done in this space. An out and out fun number with an extremely catchy rhythm to it, ‘Aaj Bhi Party‘ is a winner.

Next to arrive is a love song that has a lounge beginning to it with Shreya Ghoshal as well as K.K. going low key for ‘Ishq Hothon Se‘. However 60 seconds into the song and things take a turn with the song taking a listener to quintessential ‘pyaar mohabbat’ zone. A safe song by all means with the kind of melody that would have been picked up by the likes of Chopras and Johars of the world, ‘Ishq Hothon Se‘ further makes an impression due to the kind of picturisation that a viewer can well expect for a song like this. Yet another pleasant number that keeps one interested in rest of the album.

The way Monali Thakur begins ‘Peepni‘, you are immediately connected to the kind of sound that Sachin Gupta had created for Prince. After the initial set up created by Mahi Maninder Singh with his Punjabi vocals, the song takes a Hinglish route with a youthful lingo peppered all over it. With Jaspreet Singh coming behind the mike along with Monali to bring back the kind of party mood that had been set earlier with ‘Aaj Bhi Party’, ‘Peepni‘ makes one look forward to how the youngsters have actually come together to create the kind of visuals that would further make the song enticing enough.

Sasha Tirupati’s start for ‘Abhi Abhi‘ also has a trademark Sachin Gupta feel to it and that is pretty much a compliment for the young musician who is clearly making a mark for himself in quick time. Further impact is created once K.K. gets on the scene and creates just the right kind of pathos that compliments Kumaar’s pensive lyrics. A song about broken hearts and the pain that follows, ‘Abhi Abhi‘ has a sad feel to it but thankfully doesn’t turn into a drag. A decent situational tune that should add on to the film’s narrative.

Last to arrive is a fun number that has the kind of ‘desi’ tune that one associates with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. In fact as one continues to hear ‘One More One More‘ repeatedly, there is also a touch of Vishal-Shekhar’s ‘Desi Girl‘ [Dostana] which further seals the argument that this one was meant to be played safe and fall into a commercial bracket. Yet another enjoyable number that does well till it lasts, ‘One More One More‘ may not have a long shelf life but does add on to the rest of the album that manages to stand on its own.

OVERALL

Jo Hum Chahein is a good soundtrack and all it needs from this point on is further push in its promotion that should add on to its visibility. Since the soundtrack doesn’t come with any known names, its reach amongst the audience would be entirely dependent upon good word of mouth. That is feasible though considering the fact that the film is still a month away and hence the makers have good enough time to create a place for this album.

GHOST MOVIE MUSIC REVIEW

Ghost Movie Music Review

EXPECTATIONS

At the very onset you aren’t really kicked about listening to what the soundtrack of Ghost have to offer. After all, the film hasn’t really been in news for all the right reasons and musically too you don’t expect much from Ghost which is basically a horror drama. However there is an immediate mood shift once you realise that the music here is composed by Sharib-Toshi (of Raaz – The Mystery Continues and Jashnn fame). Around the same time you also end up remembering that Shiney has actually enjoyed a series of good musical scores in the past, case in point being Gangster, Woh Lamhe, Life In A Metro to name a few. With renewed interest in the album you do play on Ghost, only to be pleasantly surprised.

MUSIC

It’s a step into the Bhatts territory with the very opening sound of ‘Jalwanuma‘ promising a melodious outing ahead. A love song with a contemporary feel to it with a touch of Sufi rock, ‘Jalwanuma‘ (a new word introduced to Bollywood by lyricist Saagar) is sung by Toshi Sabri with Akram Sabri giving him good company. Though this one isn’t exactly a grand kick-start to the album and does make one feel the absence of a song with much higher energy at the very beginning, you don’t quite mind ‘Jalwanuma‘ as it lends a quality feel to Ghost.

Next to arrive is a song of seduction with Sunidhi Chauhan setting the mood after a good premise has been set by Sharib-Toshi. ‘Aaja Khatam Sabr‘ is the song in question which has a different arrangement to it and presents Sunidhi’s vocals quite differently when compared to her usual rendition. Though Turaz’s lyrics can’t really escape the likes of ‘soniya’, ‘maahiya’, ‘ranjhana’ and stuff alike, you do allow yourself to be taken in by the rhythm of ‘Aaja Khatam Sabr‘ which has a naughty feel to it and should ignite some heat if accompanied by good visuals.

Sharib’s backing vocals set the tune for ‘Salame Salame‘ which is the massiest of the lot heard so far and has in it to become a chartbuster if pumped across music channels over the next few weeks. A good rhythmic track that has an out and out happy feel to it with Shaan bringing in good energy, ‘Salame Salame‘ is written by Kumaar with Bob pitching in by singing the rap portions. With no dull moment whatsoever, ‘Salame Salame‘ should ideally have been the first track in the album as it does well in setting good pace for the album.

There is a shift in the mood though with Ghost taking a romantic route, courtesy ‘Dil Ke Liye‘. There is one full minute spent on setting a good base for Javed Ali who does well in singing this Sandeep Nath written number which is yet another good song to find an inclusion in the album. A love song with Priya Patidar as the backing vocalist, ‘Dil Ke Liye‘ has a serene feel to it and never allows the basic melody to die down under the weight of any heavy duty arrangements. The song has a simple flow to it and passes off quite smoothly; hence lending one a content feel while listening to whatever Ghost had to offer so far.

Last to arrive is Kumaar written ‘Kahan Hai Tu‘ which is sung by Sharib Sabri himself. Now this one could have turned into a ‘bhoole bisre horror house outing’ but none of that really happens, courtesy the way Sharib-Toshi spin it around. In fact one is pretty much reminded here of the kind of sound that Vikram Bhatt incorporates in his films, especially the ones belonging to horror genre – case in point being Haunted, Shaapit and other belonging to it’s ilk.

OVERALL

If one considers the fact that there wasn’t much expectation to begin with and the only interest area was to know whether Sharib-Toshi have indeed given Shiney some good songs to smile about, Ghost does turn out to be a fairly nice. Also, one can clearly see that the soundtrack here belongs to the kind that one identifies with films coming from the Bhatts. No doubt, if Emraan Hashmi would have heard this soundtrack, he would have gladly picked up at least a couple for himself. Now all that is required is for the makers of Ghost to ensure that there is good enough promotion for the album and keep Shiney in the forefront (courtesy his good success rate with musicals) that would help break perception around the soundtrack and ensure there is decent visibility at the least.